The Second World War (1939–1945)

Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939 after Hitler's invasion of Poland. France fell in June 1940 and for a year Britain and its empire stood alone against Nazi Germany. Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940 and his speeches rallied the country. The Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 saw RAF fighters narrowly defeat the German Luftwaffe in the skies over southern England.

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After the United States and the Soviet Union joined the war in 1941, the tide gradually turned. Allied forces commanded by General Eisenhower landed in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945 (VE Day) and Japan on 15 August (VJ Day) after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

You may be asked when the war began (1939), who became Prime Minister in 1940 (Churchill), or what D-Day was.

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These questions from the official-format question bank cover the same material. Tap any question to see the correct answer and a short explanation.

1. Which of the events is the landing of allied forces in Normandy?
2. Which was a crucial aerial battle against the Germans?
3. What event is known as the evacuation of 300,000 people from the beaches?
4. In what year was Germany comprehensively defeated by the Allies during the WWII?
5. Which of the events is the bombing of English cities by the Germans?
6. Which of the following was a crucial aerial battle fought between Germany and Britain during WWII?

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